Daynight Racer (Completed)

Chapter 27

Turns out, after Ember won the championship in spectacular fashion. After taking pole position in qualifying, she stormed off the line when the race started and never looked back. In the end, she crossed the line with a huge gap between her and Jaymes in second place, holding the fastest lap too.

Lyst could only imagine having such a dominant performance. Ember was in a league of her own. She had proven that she was better than her opponents on track. What she needed was just a little promotion.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention," said Ember, a proud grin spread out across her face. "I've just got signed by a team in the FIA F3 Series next season."

Well...

"Good for you, Ember." Lyst offered a pleasant smile. "I'm really happy for you." She pulled Ember into a heartfelt embrace. "You fully deserve the chance to race in faster cars, against better drivers. I support you."

She was glad to have a friend like Ember. If not for her, she would have struggled a lot more than she did over the course of the season. Not only did Ember provide her with emotional support and companionship, the driving tips she gave her at the karting track in France had also made her more comfortable in her car, giving her confidence to push for the limits and beyond. For those, Lyst was grateful.

It took a few moments before Ember pulled herself out of the hug, a glint of emotion in her eyes. "Thank you," she muttered. "I'll miss sharing the track with you."

Lyst rested a hand on her chest, letting out a small chuckle in the process. "I'm flattered to hear you say that. But we could always find time to race each other on track days, y'know."

"I presume so."

Before Lyst could reply to that, a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Ashley was calling for her, signalling that her time with Ember was coming to an end.

"I have to go," Lyst blurted. "See you next time."

"You too."

With one final glance at her brunette friend, Lyst turned on her heels and trotted towards Ashley, who seemed thrilled to see her. Tugging on Lyst's arm, Ashley dragged her along as she pranced away from the paddock.

"Ready for your off-season?" she asked.

"If by 'off-season', you mean taking me home with no holiday plans in mind... Then yes."

Ashley teasingly swatted her friend on the shoulder. "You can't say that," she argued. "There's so much we can do during the holidays! Think about all the places you can go on vacation, all the episodes you can binge watch, all the dates you can go on, all the matches..."

Lyst shot her a look, but Ashley simply returned a snicker. "What? I didn't say anything wrong!"

Indeed, she didn't. Lyst would have enjoyed a lovely trip to some other place. She also wouldn't complain about watching her favourite shows for hours on end. But... Dates? Romance? She wasn't ready for any of those.

Maybe in the future, she reminded herself. But not now.

She opened her mouth to argue with her best friend, but no words came out. At last, she gave up. "Fine," she muttered. "Whatever makes you sleep at night."

Ashley couldn't hide her mirth at what had just come out of her friend's mouth. She stared at Lyst with a glint of anticipation in her eyes, her free hand covering her mouth. "Oh?" She gasped. "Alystabella Cassidy finally willing to open up her heart?"

Lyst's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Stop it, you're talking nonsen-"

A bump on her shoulder cut her off mid-sentence. Stopping dead on her tracks, she whirled around to see what had collided with her. Or more accurately, who.